Guide to Disable Hypervisor in Windows for Improved VMware Workstation Performance

Symptoms

VMware Workstation performance is significantly hindered when the Windows hypervisor is enabled, leading to slower virtual machine operations and resource allocation issues.

Environment

Windows operating systems running VMware Workstation

Most Likely Causes

The Windows hypervisor can interfere with VMware Workstation's ability to cleanly manage hardware resources, resulting in degraded performance.

What to Check First

1. Confirm OS build, domain or workgroup state, local admin rights, and whether the host is managed by GPO, Intune, or another baseline.
2. Collect the exact error code, Event Viewer entries, and the command or UI action that triggers the failure.
3. Check whether the issue follows the user profile, machine, network, or application package.

Fix Steps

1. Check if Hypervisor is Enabled

   Before disabling the hypervisor, confirm that it is currently enabled on your system.

   Example pattern only. Adjust for your environment before running.

   bcdedit /enum

2. Disable Hypervisor

   To disable the hypervisor, you need to modify the boot configuration data.

   Example pattern only. Adjust for your environment before running.

   bcdedit /set hypervisorlaunchtype off

3. Restart the Computer

   After disabling the hypervisor, restart your computer to apply the changes.

   Example pattern only. Adjust for your environment before running.

   shutdown /r /t 0

4. Verify Hypervisor is Disabled

   After the system restarts, verify that the hypervisor is indeed disabled.

   Example pattern only. Adjust for your environment before running.

   bcdedit /enum

5. Test VMware Workstation Performance

   Launch VMware Workstation and test the performance of your virtual machines to confirm improvements.

   Example pattern only. Adjust for your environment before running.

   Open VMware Workstation
   Start a virtual machine

Validation

• The failing Windows action completes after reboot or service restart if the remediation requires one.
• Event Viewer stops logging the same error ID for the same component during a retest.
• The fix works for the affected standard user context, not only for an elevated administrator session.

Logs to Check

• Event Viewer: System, Application, Setup, WindowsUpdateClient, TerminalServices, or PowerShell logs as relevant.
• CBS.log, DISM.log, or WindowsUpdate.log when servicing or feature installation is involved.
• Security, RDP, or application-specific logs for authentication and session failures.

Rollback and Escalation

• Record the original registry, service, feature, policy, or firewall value before changing it.
• Undo temporary local policy, firewall, or service changes after validation.
• Use a restore point, VM snapshot, or exported configuration when changing servicing, boot, or security settings.

Escalate When

• Escalate if the same error persists after rollback and a clean retry from the original failing path.
• Escalate if logs show authorization, data loss, certificate, replication, or production availability risk outside the local service owner scope.

Edge Cases

• If you encounter issues with the command not executing, ensure you are running the Command Prompt as an administrator.
• If performance does not improve, consider checking for other resource-intensive applications that may be running concurrently.

Notes from the Field

• If the machine is domain-managed, local fixes can be overwritten. Check the winning GPO or MDM policy before repeating the same change.
• Prefer read-only collection first on Windows incidents because many repair commands change component store, services, or user profile state.